The Six Sigma Book for Healthcare: Improving Outcomes by Reducing Errors

The Six Sigma Book for Healthcare: Improving Outcomes by Reducing Errors demystifies the increasingly popular Six Sigma approach to improving quality. This book provides a clear explanation of what Six Sigma is, how it works, and how it can be applied to healthcare management.

The book also provides valuable guidance and tools that will help you implement the Six Sigma method at your organization. You and your staff can work through cases that illustrate the method. A companion web site provides additional teaching and learning tools, including lists of data for working through the cases, sample spreadsheets showing additional detail about the examples used in the book, and tools for presenting results in a PowerPoint format appropriate for a management team meeting.

Robert Barry, PE, Ph.D. is a principal of Balester Consultants, a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and a management consultant specializing in systems of extremely high reliability whose clients range from hospitals and utilities to the Alaska Pipeline. Mr. Barry holds the bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and has completed executive management programs at the Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. He holds eleven US patents and has published widely on technical and management topics.

Amy C. Murcko MSN, APRN, BC is Director of Outcomes Management and Research at Sharon Regional Health System, Sharon, Pennsylvania. Ms. Murcko is a board-certified medical/surgical clinical nurse specialist with expertise in clinical performance improvement, project management, and case management. She is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt who holds a Masters degree in Medical/Surgical Nursing from Gannon University, Erie, Pennsylvania; and a Bachelor's degree in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh.

Clifford E. Brubaker Ph.D. is Professor and Dean of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. He holds additional professorial appointments at the University of Pittsburgh in the Departments of Neurological Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Industrial Engineering and Bioengineering and with the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Brubaker has contributed to Research, Education and Service in the fields of Biomechanics, Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology for over 30 years. Dr Brubaker received his bachelor's and masters degrees from Ball State University and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Oregon.